Ranma Puff Z
by Skye Silverwing
Summary: In Tokyo City, Great Power was released by a big mistake, and the city became in peril. Its defenders must rise above their stations and save the city from certain destruction. How does Ranma fit in to this? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1: The Incident

Ranma Puff Z

By Skye Silverwing

Disclaimer: You know I don't own this, right?

Chapter 1: The incident.

It was a normal day in Tokyo City. The Sun showed brightly in the sky over the vacant lot where a fifteen year old boy by the name of Ranma Saotome waited for his Rival Ryoga Hibiki to show up, so that they could have the duel that the Lost Boy wanted to have so badly.

Ranma sighed. Unfortunately, Ryoga was living up to his directionally challenged reputation, and had apparently spent the last several days looking for the vacant lot, located behind his house. It was no matter, though. Ranma had promised the Lost Boy that he would be here to fight him, and he had no intention of letting his opponent's tardiness make him break that promise.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

In a rocky area along Tokyo Bay, Ukyo Kuonji, a well-known student of the Okonomiyaki Chef Martial Arts Style, practiced her chosen trade. She stood on a cliff at the edge of the Sea, waves crashing up around her as she cooked the Japanese Pizza for a red-haired girl, using all of her not inconsiderable skill to protect the batter from being ruined by the water.

As she practiced her defense, and finished the Okonomiyaki, and handed it to the young red-haired girl, she thought about the jerk and his father, who were the reason she was here. She would learn to wield her chosen weapons in the most deadly manner she could, and then, when she was ready, she would find him and his worthless father, and she would destroy them both!

She would destroy him, as he had destroyed her womanhood.

Ranma Saotome, Prepare to die!

The red-head, Momoko Akatsutsumi, realizing that she was late for school, thanked the Chef for the treat and dashed off quickly.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Somewhere in the dense forest to the West of San Francisco (nearest he could figure) Ryoga Hibiki trudged on his way to his appointed duel. He was aware of the fact that it should not have taken him this long to reach the vacant lot, no more than fifteen paces from his front door, but it seemed that somehow, his rival, the Coward, Ranma Saotome had moved it. No matter. Ryoga would overcome his Rival's treachery, and finally acquire the vengeance that he so deserved for the offense of the curry bread. He just had to get back to Japan first.

On the other side of the bush to Ryoga's left, in Tokyo Park, a young brunette tomboy by the name of Kauru Matsubara Shot along the path on her skateboard, making great time on her way to school.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Nabiki Tendo watched from the second floor windows of Furinkan High School as her classmate, Tatewaki Kuno, defeated the last of the members of the School's Varsity Kendo team. She was fairly certain that the boy was unmatched in the art of the sword at this school, or any other schools nearby. She calmly made a note in her book to avoid betting against Furinkan in any of the upcoming kendo tournaments.

This "Shining Star of Furinkan High" was sure to lead the Kendo Team to victory over all of his opponents… Provided that any of the rest of the team managed to survive training with him, she amended, taking in the current state of Kuno's opponents. She figured her big sister, Kasumi, was already planning on making get-well gifts for them all while they were in the hospital. She might even have Miyako help her.

Nabiki was honestly trying to avoid thinking of ways to exploit Kasumi's friendship with the Goutokuji heiress. Her sister allowed herself so little time for true friends, and though the two were over five years apart in age, they got along famously. Kasumi thought it was funny how much emphasis the younger girl put on fashion, while Miyako was always impressed by how well Kasumi pulled off the "housewife look" and constantly sought to convince her to try a different look.

Nabiki kept the pictures to herself as a reminder never compete against Kasumi for a man.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Several hours later, in a large research lab on the hill overlooking Tokyo City, Professor Utonium, one of Tokyo City's most prominent research scientists, was frustrated. He used a pipette to transfer a small amount of a violet fluid into a larger beaker, where it dissolved into a clear liquid with no reaction. He sighed and made a note of it.

The Professor's eight-year-old son, Ken, entered the room, pushing a small lunch cart, along with a mechanical dog Utonium had built to be his companion, called Peachi. "Papa- I mean, Professor Utonium," Ken said, "Let's have tea."

"Okay." Utonium replied, setting his work aside. He then moved to wash his hands, as the chemical he had been working with was not necessarily safe.

"Is there any progress with the Analysis of the Chemical X?" Ken asked, his interest both professional and personal, as the professor's lab assistant and as his son.

The Professor sighed. "It is not progressing as I had hoped it would." He said, inclining his head in frustration. "I have tried mixing the Chemical X with several different chemicals and liquids, but I can't seem to get a reaction."

He noticed the Luck buns on the cart and smiled. "Oh, these big luck buns look good." He said, "Can I have one?" He picked up one of the buns, and in Ken's arms, Peachi began to struggle, acting like she wanted a bun.

Ken Chuckled. "Professor, it looks like Peachi likes the Buns as well." He said as the Digital Dog leapt from his arms onto the table. "Hold on, I will give you one in a moment!"

Peachi, not heeding its master's words, took hold of one luck bun in its mouth and another with one paw. It began to dance happily until the bun held by its paw slipped out, flying through the air.

Everyone gasped as it landed in the vat containing the Chemical X and quickly sank below the surface. A moment later a glow began to emerge from deep in the vat, and the chemical X began swirl, shifting in color from a deep violet to a swirling rainbow.

The professor and Ken quickly went about cataloging the changes as the computer announced that the new chemical was more powerful than Chemical X. Because of this the Professor decided that the new Chemical would be called "Chemical Z".

As the System registered the new name, a flash of lightning drew their attention to the outside. Large chunks of ice were falling from the sky.

Ken was confused. "Hail?" he said in disbelief. "In this season?"

Professor Utonium nodded. "And such large hail." he said, "Just what is going on?" He pressed a call button on the nearby panel, "Mr. Mayor!" he said, as the Mayor's image appeared on the monitor.

The Mayor turned to look at the camera. "Oh!" he exclaimed, "Professor Utonium! Just in time! You must help us! Something terrible is happening!"

Professor Utonium looked at the Mayor in alarm. "What's wrong?" he asked.

The Mayor indicated another screen. "A mysterious iceberg has appeared in Tokyo City's Bay!" he said, "At this rate, Tokyo City will Freeze, turning the surrounding area into a land of ice and penguins!"

"I don't think that is right, Mayor." Mrs. Bellum, the Mayor's assistant, said. "The strange weather patterns aren't that localized. Reports of strange weather are coming in from all over the world."

Ken looked at his father. "Papa… I mean Professor," he said, "we must use the Chemical Z immediately."

Professor Utonium shook his head. "We can't do that yet." He said, "We don't know enough about the Chemical Z. First we must research it, Using luck, experimentation and controlled conditions to find the best way to…!" The Professor suddenly realized that Ken was no longer standing beside him, and the vat of Chemical Z was no longer there either.

He spotted his son at the Chemical-Powered Laser Cannon. Ken commanded the window to open, allowing the wind to blow in, wiping away his father's words of warning as he got a bead on the iceberg that was causing all the trouble.

Professor Utonium tried one more time to stop Ken from firing the Z-charged beam of energy at the iceberg, but it was too late. A beam of white energy fired from the cannon, quickly crossing the distance between the device and the iceberg. When the beam impacted, the iceberg exploded, dissipating the storm and returning the atmosphere to normal.

Ken was about to announce his victory when his attention was drawn to a number of black and white beams of energy streaking out from the explosion, falling like rain over the unsuspecting city below.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Momoko was in a good mood. She had acquired a large amount of tasty junk food and was on her way to the park to eat it. She had seen several of the most handsome Sempais in her school on her way, not to mention the cute Bishonen Okonomiyaki Chef she met before school and that fanged guy that had passed her on her way here. She was a little worried when it started to storm, but she took shelter in a gazebo in the park, until, a few moments ago, there was a loud boom in the distance over the bay and the storm just… stopped.

She wasn't worried, though, since she was certain that Tokyo City had all sorts of experts and Super Heroes and Martial Artists to deal with that kind of thing. It wasn't until she noticed the numerous beams of light flying across the sky that she became certain that something was wrong. A few yards from her, a small girl was playing with her Yo-yo and with one of the white beams heading straight for her. "Look out!" Momoko cried, leaping from her seat and dashing across the intervening distance and putting herself between the girl and the beam.

The Beam struck her and she suddenly cried out, "HYPER BLOSSOM!" and then she found herself whirling through a transformation. A Red skirt, red shoes, pink jacket, black fingerless gloves, a red bow in her hair and a technological-looking belt replaced the clothes she had been wearing. In her hand was an upgraded and color coordinated yo-yo.

Momoko was shocked. "Huh?" she said softly, "Could it be… that I have become a transforming super heroine?"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Miyako sighed and put on an aloof look as she headed out of school, studiously ignoring the cries of love and affection showered upon her by the boys around her. She was honestly tired of being called on by boys all the time. They only served to get in the way of her true passion: fashion.

Darting into a nearby shop, Miyako discovered a particularly cute outfit. She was so busy buying it that she failed to notice the storm suddenly springing up, or the explosion that marked the end of it. When she exited the building, she spotted a child, playing with a bubble wand, producing endless streams of sparkling bubbles.

Miyako was commenting on her desire to have clothing as lovely as the bubbles when she noticed the mysterious beam of light streaking toward the child. Not hesitating, she wrapped her arms around the child and placed herself in the light's path.

"ROLLING BUBBLES!" she called, beginning a transformation that left her in a blue skirt and jacket combo, with blue shoes, black gloves and hair pin. The belt was kind of tacky, but chic in its own way. Over all, she loved the ensemble. She had what appeared to be a wand in her hand. "Huh?" she said, "When did I buy such nice clothes as these?"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Kauru grimaced as she prepared to leave school. The hail had finally abated and she wanted to get away as quickly as possible, so she pushed her state board hard. Outside, many girls her own age called out to her, heaping praise on her and trying to flirt with her. She was not interested in girls, however, and could not understand how they could be such perverts. She may dress like a boy, but she was not a boy.

She slid between the girls at high speed, dodging her skate board back and forth to avoid plowing into any of them.

As she exited the gate, she saw a small boy playing with some blocks and a hammer. A mysterious white light was bearing down on him. Being the only one near enough to do so, Kauru flung herself into a rolling tackle, placing herself in the line of fire.

"POWERED BUTTERCUP!" she cried, going through a martial arts kata as the green outfit formed around her. She stared down at the skirt in disbelief and humiliation. "A skirt!" she said, "I am wearing a skirt! I haven't worn a skirt since kindergarten!"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Ryoga was happy to have reached the bay. It meant that he was in the right city and could only be a few kilometers from his destination. He was also happy to see the Okonomiyaki Chef. His stomach was growling, and foraging was not his strong suit. "Excuse me," he said, "I would like a chicken, fish, and octopus okonomiyaki to go, please."

Ukyo smiled at the fanged boy. "Sure thing, Sugar." She said, pouring the batter and selecting the ingredients. "You look like you are in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere. Mind if I ask where?"

Ryoga smiled back. "I am on my way to have a man-to-man duel with my rival." He said. "I need to get to the appointed place as soon as possible."

Ukyo nodded as she kept most of her attention on the grill. "Good luck with that." She said. "You want soy sauce in it?"

Ryoga shook his head. "No thanks." He said. The two of them continued chatting companionably until a clap of thunder shook the area. Then the hail began to fall.

"Training time." They both said in unison, sparing each other a well humored glance as they moved to do what they could. Ryoga jumped around, deliberately taking as many hailstones to his body as possible for toughening training, while Ukyo wielded her spatula expertly to protect her grill and batter from the falling hailstones, training her speed and accuracy with the weapon. As they trained, both of them took the time to appreciate the other's skill.

After several minutes, a beam of white light shot across the sky from the structure on the hill to the iceberg floating in the bay. The iceberg exploded with a brilliant flash, and the hail stopped.

Ryoga and Ukyo exchanged looks. "You're pretty good with that thing." Ryoga said, indicating Ukyo's weapon.

Ukyo smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself." She said, "Deliberately taking all of those hits, that takes a lot of endurance. The few that hit me really stung."

Ryoga chuckled. "My family style follows the ideals of endurance." He said, then he extended his hand. "Ryoga Hibiki."

Ukyo shook it and smiled. "Ukyo Kuonji." She replied, then cocked her head as she heard a high-pitched keening noise. "Huh?"

Ukyo and Ryoga turned to see a beam of white light flanked by two beams of black light. The beams were heading toward a small child who was busy trying to imitate Ukyo's moves with a regular spatula.

With a quick glance at one another, the two martial artists nodded, and then they sprang into action. Ryoga loosed his umbrella, attempting to wield it as a club to deflect one of the beams of black light white Ukyo attempted to do the same to the other two with her Combat spatula.

As the light impacted, there was a bright flash.

"ULTRA BUNNY!" Ukyo cried as she whirled through a transformation that placed her in a purple skirt with a purple jacket, purple shoes, fingerless gloves and a purple bandanna holding back her hair. She was holding a large, ornate combat spatula in her hand.

Ukyo might have made a comment about the skirt, if not for the fact that the moment the transformation ended, a bolt of immense pain shot through her system as black energy arced all around her reacting with her new powers.

Ryoga tried to leap to Ukyo's aide, but he was immediately beset by the black energy arcing around him as well. A moment later the reaction reached its peak and there was a burst of energy that hurled both Ryoga and the untransformed and unconscious Ukyo toward a nearby tree.

With the last of his strength, Ryoga wrapped his arms around the unconscious chef, turning to take the brunt of the impact with the tree. As he slipped from consciousness, he hoped that she would be alright.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Nabiki was slightly concerned. She was fairly certain that it was out of season for hail, but that did not excuse Kuno for having the entire Kendo club out in it! She watched as the next three best swordsmen under Kuno fell to the harsh hailstones and the fool went so far as to berate them for being weak, even as he used his blade to keep the stones from his own head.

A bright flash lit the sky, drawing Nabiki's attention to the bay, where an iceberg that should not have been there in the first place was being blasted out of existence by some kind of shore-based laser cannon in the Tokyo City District. She was curious as to if the SDF was responsible for that, or if there was someone with a lot of explaining to do (such high-powered weapons being illegal for civilian use in Japan). She then noticed the black and white streamers exiting the steam plume. As they shot out over the city, they began dropping down onto it like dozens of meteors.

One such projectile, black in color, flew onto the campus and struck one of the Kendo blades racked outside the Kendo club. Nabiki made a note to keep an eye on that blade.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Kasumi Tendo was not happy with the weather. She had just gotten out of school and was on her way to a shopping district in Tokyo City that was having a big sale on assorted foods today. She was hoping to meet her young friend Miyako and make an afternoon of it.

Unfortunately, when she got into the area, there was a flash of lightning. Kasumi just barely managed to duck into a nearby odds-and-ends store before the hail began to come down. As she waited for the sudden storm to pass, she browsed the store. She smiled when she found a beautiful pair of traditional Sensu folding fans. She finished purchasing them as a clap of what she guessed must have been thunder announced the end of the storm.

Kasumi continued her trip to the Shopping district, opening and closing the fans and kind of dancing as she went.

Suddenly, a high pitched keening sound filled the air. Kasumi stopped and looked around in confusion. To her surprise, a massive beam of light was heading straight for her.

"Hey, look out!" Kasumi suddenly felt herself being lifted into a strong pair of arms and rotated to be shielded from the beam. She stared up in shock at the mysterious pigtailed boy as the light impacted his back and arced through his body like a bolt of lightning. He let out one cry of pain and then collapsed.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Genma Saotome had a bad feeling. He had been on his way back to the small apartment he and his son were currently living in when the freak hailstorm hit. He decided, of course, to use this opportunity to work on his dodging, as he knew his son would. He leapt to the rooftops, actively tracking and avoiding hundreds of large hailstones. He was just reaching the end of his first wind when a white beam shot out of the research lab on the hill and put an end to an iceberg that had apparently been forming in the bay, bringing the hail to an abrupt end.

When Genma saw the black and white lights arcing out over the city, the ominous feeling he had increased dramatically. He was suddenly filled with the conviction that he and his son had stayed in Tokyo City too long. Turning, he leapt across the rooftops as quickly as his legs could take him. He did not even want to be in Japan right now. China… yes… China was the place to go. He would ramp up his son's training. They could leave before anything too horrible could happen.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, two of the white beams of light intersected each other and impacted far too close to the lot that he had been heading toward. He heard his son cry out as he came off the roof at maximum speed and hit the ground rolling. He spotted his son lying cradled in the arms of a pretty girl, who seemed rather alarmed.

Genma dashed up and knelt beside his son. "What happened?" he asked the girl. "This is my son!"

The girl looked up at him with a mortified look. "H-He saved me." She said, "He was hit by that light!"

Genma checked Ranma's vitals. "He still has a pulse." He told the girl, "I will take care of him. You get home. This isn't a good day to be out and about."

Kasumi nodded and then turned to run home as quickly as she could.

Genma hoisted his son onto one shoulder and fled as quickly as his considerable skills would allow.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

It was several hours later when consciousness once again intruded upon Ryoga's mind. The first thing he noticed was that he was sleeping on the hard ground. This was not particularly unusual with how easily he tended to get lost. What was unusual was the feeling of something soft and warm pressing down against his chest.

He cracked his eyes open, and the glare of the setting sun blinded him for a moment. As his vision returned, he froze. Lying against his chest was a head full of long brown hair and certain… other attributes… were pressed against stomach. He struggled not to make any sudden moves that might awaken the girl and alert her to their compromising situation before he could remember how he had gotten into it and come up with a way to extricate himself safely.

Unfortunately for Ryoga, Ukyo chose that moment to stir, looking up with a confused and bleary look on her face. It took but a split second for her to realize where she was, and her first instinct was to clobber the man who had been acting as her cushion. A kickflip, two thrown shuriken and a stifled shriek later, the two separated and quickly tried to collect their thoughts, failing miserably.

"WHO…? WHAT…? HOW DARE…!" was all Ukyo could manage to stammer out.

"Sorry! I don't…! I didn't…" was Ryoga's reply.

As the two stood in a sort of stand-off, their memories began to come back.

Ukyo cocked her head. "Wait… I remember… you bought Okonomiyaki from me, right?"Ryoga merely nodded, and Ukyo continued, "and… there was a kid and some beams of light… and… we… Saved her?"

They both looked around hurriedly, noticing for the first time how late it had become.

Ukyo noticed the incinerated Okonomiyaki on her grill and sweat-dropped. "Guess I will be re-making that one…" she said.

Ryoga smiled. "Don't worry about it." He said, "I have to get going or that coward Saotome will think I forfeited."

Ukyo stopped. "Saotome?" she asked, "That wouldn't be Ranma Saotome, by any chance, would it?"

Ryoga nodded, pulling out the address of the Lot. "He is a sneaky jerk I know from school. I am scheduled to have a duel with him." He said, then cocked his head "Why, do you know him?"

Ukyo tightened her grip on her combat spatula and nodded. "That jerk and his father stole my family Yatti!" She said, grabbing the address from him. "Come on! Let's go show him what for!"

With Ukyo in the lead, they reached the lot in a short time, but found it empty.

Ukyo glared at Ryoga. "Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked.

Ryoga nodded. "Yes." He said, "That jerk must not have shown up."

Ukyo was now even angrier at Ranma for proving his lack of honor once again. "You know where he lives, right?" she said, and Ryoga nodded. "Then let's go there and call him out! We will gain revenge on that a**hole!"

Ryoga nodded. "That is a great idea!" he said, "Let's go!"

Ukyo smiled. The day of reckoning for the Saotome clan had come at last. "Lead the way, Ryoga!" she said, unaware that more ill-fated words had never been spoken.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Later that night, at the mayor's office, the Mayor's assistant, Miss Bellum, was in a remarkably good mood, given the circumstances. Sure, the city had nearly met with disaster more than once that day, and there was a fair amount of damage to be cleaned up, not to mention the possibility of monsters like that Mojo being on the loose, but in the end, the disaster had been averted, the city had been saved, and they had even managed to recruit three young Super Heroines to defend the city from those supernatural foes for less money than it cost to pay a single meter maid. The best part was that Utonium was going to end up footing the bill for the costs they did incur. Sure, the city would need to pay to fix damage they caused while fighting crime and the forces of evil, but that and the girl's compensation requests were nothing at all compared to the money they could have asked for.

All of that meant that the Powerpuff Girls Z were going to be easy to maintain, so long as none of them told anyone with a real head for numbers about the deal.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

In the Tendo household, Nabiki sneezed.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

A.N. I will admit, this story is mostly here because sometimes you must write what your muses tell you to write, or you won't be able to write at all. Depending on the reviews, I may or may not continue.

If I do, I will pick it up several months later, after the end of PPGZ and at the start of Ranma Canon. I have many entertaining ideas for this.

As always, I love feedback. Constructive criticism, ideas, and opinions are always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

Ranma Puff Z

By Skye Silverwing

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own any of this.

Chapter 2: Awakening

Several months had passed since the incident that had become known as the "Day of the Iceberg". It was then that the monsters began to appear, attacking and tormenting the citizens of Tokyo City and the surrounding wards. It was also that day, however, that the city's greatest defenders, the Powerpuff Girls Z, were born. Using their Super Powers, Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup stood fast against the ensuing tide of evil.

The girls did not spend all of their time fighting evil, though. During their off hours, Momoko, Miyako and Kauru lived normal lives, having fun, hanging out, and spending time with their friends. At least they tried to.

As is often the case when a group of girls share a secret, it was only amongst themselves that they felt like they were among friends. Only with each other were they equals. All of their former friends began to fall by the wayside in the face of the camaraderie that comes with fighting side by side.

Some friends don't stay by the wayside for long, though.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

It was almost lunch time at Furinkan high school. Kasumi Tendo sat lazily by the window in her class, thinking about her friend, Miyako. The girl had been increasingly distant lately: always a little closed off, seeming a little tired, and having to run off at random times with strange reasons.

The more Kasumi thought about it, the more she wondered if her friend had gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous, perhaps even involving the monsters that had been appearing lately. She sighed in concern for her friend and glanced down by the school gate, suddenly spotting someone she recognized.

"Akane!" she said, wondering why her sister, a middle-schooler, had come to her high school. She hurried down to meet her, and was joined on the way by her middle sister, Nabiki.

The Nabiki nodded in greeting. "You saw her, too?" she asked.

Kasumi nodded. "What could she be doing here?" she asked.

Nabiki shrugged, and the two of them proceeded out to the gate.

Akane smiled to see her sisters. "Kasumi! Nabiki!" She called, waving happily.

Kasumi looked her sister over, making sure that she was not sporting any injuries that might explain her presence here. "Akane," she said calmly, "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in class. You didn't get in another fight again, did you?"

Akane shook her head. "The Middle School got let out early." She said. "I heard there was a gas leak in the Home Ec. Room."

Kasumi nodded remembering how the Middle school's Home Economics Room had been more than a little dated when she had been there. She was amazed that the building had not burned down years ago. "Alright, then I guess you will have to go home." She said.

Akane's face fell slightly. "But-But I wanted to spend the day with you guys," She said, "and Dad has been drinking again."

Kasumi sighed and wished- not for the first time- that their father had not become such a useless wreck when their mother died. When he was drunk, the man would begin gushing tears like a faucet and wailing at the drop of a hat. It was honestly hard to spend time with the man, because there was no telling what would set him off.

Kasumi was trying to figure out what to do when the lunch bell rang. Nodding to herself she smiled at her sisters. "Then I suppose Akane can spend lunch with us." She said, turning to look at Nabiki, "That is, if you don't mind eating together as well, Ms. "Ice Queen"?"

A faint smile appeared on the beginning mercenary's face at the nickname she had gotten for being cold and calculating all the time. "No, I don't mind." She said, "But she can't stay after lunch, since we have class."

Kasumi nodded. "Then it is settled." She said, "Akane will eat with us and then she will go see Doctor Tofu, to return the book I borrowed."

Akane's face lit up at the mention of the Doctor. She liked him. He was kind and gentle and strong and skilled…

The pleasant line of thoughts was interrupted by a loud shout. "Loe, what has met my noble eye, but the most beauteous creature I have ever lain eyes upon."

The three girls turned to see a man that the two elder sisters had immediately recognized as Tatewaki Kuno, the Schools star Kendo fighter. He had his eyes locked on Akane and was moving swiftly across the field toward them.

Nabiki glared at him. "What do you want, Kuno?" she demanded, recalling how cruel and brutal the boy could be in a fight.

Kuno smiled. "I only wish to spend time with this lovely lilac blossom." He said, wrapping his arms around Akane. "She is surely the most lovely and fragile flower I have ever- Uf!"

Akane, angry at Kuno's invasion of her personal space, lashed out with a devastating uppercut to his jaw, followed by a whirling roundhouse kick that sent the boy flying across the school yard to land in a heap beside the kendo club.

The three Tendo girls were just about to go back to their business when they heard a collective gasp from the assembled watchers. They turned to see Kuno pushing himself back to his feet. "Surely, I was wrong to call her a fragile blossom." He said, reaching out and grabbing a boken from the back side of the wrack. "Truly, this girl is a fierce tigress, one worthy of the attention of one such as I. So you express your love through might. I can accept that! Have at thee!"

With that, Kuno pulled the sword to front, and black lightning began to arc along its length. Then, all hell broke loose.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Lunch had just begun and Momoko, Miyako and Kauru were on the roof of their school, eating their lunches in companionable silence. They liked times like this because there was not rush to go anywhere, no cause for stress and no penalty for just sitting there eating with their friends.

Suddenly, the lights on their belts started flashing. They sighed and stood, opening their compacts. The face of the Professor appeared on the screen. "Girls!" he said, "There is a monster attacking at Furinkan High School in Nerima!"

Miyako blinked. She knew she had heard of that school somewhere before. Shrugging, she nodded to the others and they all began their transformation.

"HYPER BLOSSOM!"

"ROLLING BUBBLES!"

"POWERED BUTTERCUP!"

"POWERPUFF GIRLS Z!"

A moment later the trio of super heroines took off, lancing across the sky toward Nerima.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE WE NOW!" Ukyo cried in frustration.

She and Ryoga had been traveling together for some time, and while it had only taken her a few days to realize that he did not know where he was going, it had only taken her a few more to realize that she did not know either. With Ryoga, she would find herself in a new climate zone every couple of hours. She hoped that with all that traveling, they would get to a place that she had at least some means of coming back from. Sadly, she had yet to see a map, and never recognized her location wherever it was. It was frustrating, but she ultimately decided that she had to rely on Ryoga to lead her to a place she could find her way back from.

That did not stop her from smacking the directionally challenged idiot with her spatula every now and then for leading her to an entirely different area that she could not recognize, of course. And this was one of those times. The view from the top of this mountain was nice, but it was not revealing anything she could recognize. They looked out upon a sea of clouds as far as the eye could see. As she brought her weapon down on his head, she wished that she could do the same to that Jerk, Ranma Saotome.

Suddenly the light on her belt started blinking. She looked down at it. "Oh, no." she said, "Not again!" then she transformed against her will.

"ULTRA BUNNY!" she cried, shifting into the purple outfit. She cringed in anticipation of what was coming, and was not disappointed as black lighting started arcing painfully over her skin, before finally exploding and hurling her and Ryoga from the mountain, sending them hurtling into the clouds below.

Behind them, the winged woman, Kiima, emerged from the shadows, wondering what that had been about. She did not know how the landlings had gotten up there, but she would have to investigate. With that, she nodded to herself and leapt from the mountain in pursuit.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

For Ryoga, the past several months had been nice, even if the girl he was traveling with was a bit violent from time to time, and in some ways especially so. Ukyo knew just how to hit him to make it hurt, and that helped him get tougher in the long run.

More than anything, though, the Lost Boy loved the companionship. Just having the girl around alleviated one of the worst aspects of his affliction: loneliness. Usually he would find himself traipsing through the wilderness for months, all alone, with no one to talk to but the occasional woodland creature. If he had not been used to it, he was certain it would have driven him over the edge of madness years ago. Having Ukyo as a companion had changed all of that, giving him someone to talk to and hang out with when he would have been walking in silence otherwise.

In some ways it kind of reminded Ryoga of Ranma, though he would never admit it. The pigtailed boy had been there for Ryoga during those perilous walks to school when one false step could have sent him half way around the world and allowed the loneliness to consume him. In truth, Ranma had been a great friend, when he wasn't snatching victory out from Ryoga's face.

That was beside the point, though. Now, Ukyo was Ryoga's companion while the two of them were hunting Ranma down to exact their revenge for the boy's lack of honor. Ryoga had to be there for Ukyo and protect her whenever that weird change hit her. Then he had to protect her from whatever came of it. It often hurt when she exploded, but he had to stop her from getting injured when she hit something.

As such, when the two of them were hurled off of the mountain several hundred meters over the Valley of Jusenkyo, Ryoga wrapped the girl in his arms and spun so that he would take the brunt of the impact while trying with all his might to bleed off the momentum so that they could both survive it. Looking down below, he saw dozens of pools of water and bamboo poles. A last-ditch effort formed in his mind, and he angled toward one of the poles catching it and bending it to absorb as much of the energy as he could, her gave a mighty shove, launching girl in his arms to a hopefully soft landing in one of the other pools even as the bamboo pole shattered, dumping him into the spring below.

With the last of his strength, Ryoga pulled himself from the water and collapsed on the soft, muddy ground. As his consciousness faded, he hoped Ukyo was okay as what appeared to be a giant man hurried over to him.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Back at Furinkan, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi struggled to survive the nightmarish Dark Samurai creature that Kuno had become. The Beast had four arms, each equipped with a razor sharp katana, and black classical Samurai armor. It moved with great purpose, professing its love even as it attacked.

Its main target was Akane, but with the number of weapons it was striking with, Kasumi and Nabiki were having trouble getting themselves out of the line of fire, let alone helping Akane.

The Youngest Tendo used all of the speed she could manage, trying to avoid the blades long enough to counter, all the while leading the beast away from innocent bystanders. Finally managing to draw Kuno away from her sisters, Akane began to push the limits of her Anything Goes training to keep herself clear of Monster Kuno's four lethal blades.

As Akane fought, Kasumi was unsure what to do. Sure, monsters had attacked the school before, but never as a student!

Nabiki, on the other hand, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed the number she had seen on TV and billboards. It was a hotline especially for monster attacks. "Hello?" she said, "A monster is attacking Furinkan High School!"

The voice on the other end tried to sound reassuring. "Don't worry, we are sending the Powerpuff Girls Z." he said, "Help is on the way."

Nabiki half growled. "We need help NOW!" she demanded, "My sister is fighting that thing all on her own!"

The man's astonishment could be heard through the phone. "Your sister is fighting it?" he asked, "How?"

Nabiki sighed. "This is Nerima." She said, "This place has more martial artists than grains of sand. My sister is among the best."

The man seemed to understand. "Right." He said, "The girls should be there to help any moment."

Back in the battle, the Monster Kuno continued its onslaught against Akane. "I love you!" It said, "As soon as I prove myself superior to you in every way, I would date with you!"

Akane ignored the monsters words as she vaulted between two of its swords and slid under another. She knew she could not remain on the defensive for long. She had to find an… There! An Opening!

Akane rolled to avoid the fourth sword and came up, delivering a devastating kick to the monster's chin. "DATE THIS!" she shouted as the force of the blow flung the monster through the school wall. She clapped her hands and held up her fingers in a "V" sign. "I won!"

Suddenly the monster lurched from the rubble. "I FIGHT ON!" It shouted and lashed out, stretching one of its arms at a high rate of speed and leaving a deep gash in Akane's left leg.

Akane cried out in pain, and dropped to one knee. The monster was quickly bearing down on her like a tidal wave of steel. Injured, she knew she could not hope to weather this onslaught. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.

"STRAWBERRY SHOOT!"

Akane opened her eyes hesitantly to see that a pink yo-yo had looped around two of the monster's weapons, and was holding it fast. On the other end of the string floated a red haired girl in a pink skirt. "You can't force someone to love you!" she said.

"BUBBLE BOING!"

The other two swords impacted with some rainbow colored bubbles being emitted by a wand held by a second girl, this one blonde, wearing a blue skirt. "And it isn't nice to kill people just because they don't love you." She said.

"GRAVITON DRIVE!"

A third girl, this one in green, slammed the monster in the chest with a large hammer, hurling it back into the wall once more. "We won't let you win with a cheap shot like that one!" she said.

The three girls jumped together between the monster and Akane and struck a pose. "We are the Fighting Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

In truth the girls had been watching Akane's fight, waiting to step in until the girl got overwhelmed. Oddly enough it had been Bubbles's idea, though Buttercup had immediately agreed, based on the girl's prowess and the pride of the martial artists in Nerima. They had thought the fight over until the monster got back up and hit the girl with that cheap shot.

Buttercup was still concerned about stepping in on another girl's fight, but after they announced who they were, she saw the relief in the other girl's eyes, showing that she had realized she was over her head.

Determined not to fall for the same trick Akane did, the girls watched the pile of rubble, knowing that the fight was certainly not over yet. Thus, it did not come to anyone's surprise when the monster resurfaced. It surveyed the three new arrivals to the battle. "Such exotic beauty." It said, "How could I possibly choose just one? NO! I MUST HAVE THEM ALL!"

With that, he lengthened all four arms into blade edged tentacles. It lashed out at all three Powerpuffs as well as Akane, forcing them to scatter. The Powerpuffs took to the air and surrounded the Monster, hoping that it would increase its ability to attack Akane.

The writhing tentacles slashed at each of the girls, trying to enwrap them. Blossom and Buttercup fought to keep the rogue appendages at bay by striking them with yo-yo and hammer, but Bubbles could only block with bubbles and dodge. Akane used her uninjured leg to jump and dodge as best she could while punching and kicking the tentacles.

At first, the battle seemed a little one sided. Four girls battled against one monster, and it seemed like they had the fight well in hand.

Suddenly, though, the tide changed, as the tentacle that had been menacing Bubbles suddenly lashed out, wrapping around her leg, dragging her down and slamming her hard into the ground. The others both cried out in concern for their friend, dropping their own guards for a moment, and the tentacles that they were facing Wrapped around Buttercup's arms and Blossom's stomach. The girls were lucky that their power reinforced bodies were tougher than normal, but even so, a trickle of blood was beginning to flow down Bubbles's leg where the tentacle was cutting into her.

Akane's finely honed reflexes were the only thing that kept the tentacle from capturing her as well. She threw herself to one side to avoid a slam and made a one legged jump to avoid it as it swept under her. It was very difficult with the injury to her leg, and she was unsure how long she could keep it up.

Suddenly, Bubbles shrieked as the tentacle holding her slid further up her leg and over her inner thigh.

All at once, the tide of the battle changed once again as in a flash, a flaming red battle aura surrounded Akane, vaporizing the tentacle that was attempting to ensnare her. The light coalesced into a shape of a large wooden mallet in her hand.

Nabiki gaped as Kasumi smiled proudly at her sister. The ki weapon technique was one of the stronger techniques in the Tendo School of Anything Goes. Akane had never been able to gather sufficient ki to perform it before, since their father had stopped training them when their mother died.

Akane charged at the monster, Ki-born Mallet in hand, with a level of speed that was even hard for the super-heroines to follow. Monster Kuno had only enough time to flinch before she was in striking distance.

"KUNO NO HENTAI!" she shouted as she brought the Mallet down with a devastating crash and a rush of ki that vaporized the remaining three tentacles, freeing their victims, and left Kuno, back in his human form, lying in a crater looking rather singed and clutching the incinerated remains of the boken that had started this mess.

The Powerpuff Girls looked in awe at their savior as she stood over Kuno, still holding the Mallet, breathing heavily, and glowing with fiery red ki. After a few moments, the glow abated, the mallet vanished, and Akane began to calm down. A moment later, without the anger and adrenaline fueling her, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted dead away.

Three pairs of gloved hands caught Akane as she fell, laying her gently on the ground.

It took a moment more for Kasumi to kneel beside her sister, checking her vitals and examining the wound on her leg. She turned to the Powerpuff Girls, concern showing deeply in her eyes. "She has completely exhausted herself." She said, "If she is not taken to someone who can help soon, she could die! Please, fly her to Dr. Tofu's clinic. He will know what to do." She quickly wrote down the location.

Bubbles nodded quickly and took the address. "Absolutely, Kasumi-san," she said, "we will get your sister to the Doctor right away!"

With that, the three of them picked up the injured girl and flew off toward Tofu's clinic, leaving a concerned Kasumi and a contemplative Nabiki behind them.

As the two Tendo's turned to follow, Nabiki cocked her head. "Hey, Kasumi," she asked, "When did you tell them your name?"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Ranma grumbled irately as he struck the camp on his father's order. The old man, of course was just standing off to the side, watching as he did all the work, and even complaining about how slow he was going. Ranma muttered a few choice words that would have earned him a slap from his mother, if he had one.

Ranma had never really forgiven his father for choosing that specific day to leave Tokyo City. He hated not having been able to wait for Ryoga to overcome his lack of direction sense. He hated not being able to meet his friend for a fair fight.

The one thing he was happy about from that day was that his father confirmed that he had saved that girl from whatever that light was. It was a martial artist's duty to protect the weak, after all. Still, he would have liked to know she was safe.

By the time they were on their way, the sun was well above the horizon. Ranma was glad that they were finally to the last of the "Legendary" Training grounds on his father's list. You can only get so much of ancient temples, and thousand stair climbs, and high lofty perches and…Bamboo poles.

Ranma rolled his eyes the instant they rounded the last bend. Wonderful. Hundreds of springs of water to land in while using Bamboo poles to practice aerial combat. Again. Well, at least this time, the poles seemed to be actually growing where they were, rather than just stuck there. He recalled the splinters he had to deal with at the last training ground with this kind of setup.

Genma was of course, elated to see it and insisted that they start right away. "All right, Boy," he said, "The training is to fight on top of the bamboo poles and try to knock the opponent into the springs."

Ranma sighed. Dropping his pack, he leapt to the top of one of the poles and faced off against his father for the two hundredth time this trip. Each blow he had landed was a little of his retribution against his father for taking him away from all of his friends in the past.

The battle got off to a slow start, the two of them getting a feel for the poles and mainly making attacks that they knew they could recover from. Each of them moves nimbly from pole to pole and they soon began taking greater risks and making bigger jumps in their attempts to knock the other into the chilly looking water below.

As they continued their training, a man below started to yell. Something about a curse and it not being good to fall in the water.

Ranma had heard a lot of superstition over the years, so he ignored the man's cries and kept focused on his father. The old fool was getting sloppy. The jumped from his most recent perch a bit too early, allowing the boy to get the better of him. Ranma leapt high, catching the old man in the face with his knee, and granting himself sufficient spin to kick the man down from behind. As he landed on the pole nearby he heard a satisfying splash.

A moment later, something shot past him, falling from above. As it did, it caught a nearby pole and bent it nearly double, as it did so it revealed itself to be a guy with a girl in his arms. He threw the girl into the air even as the Bamboo pole shattered and dumped him in the water below.

To Ranma's surprise, the girl landed in his arms. As he looked at her, he knew there was something familiar about her. Not that he had more than that moment to figure out why.

A Panda suddenly shot up out of the water below and struck him hard with its panda fist, hurling him, and his unwitting passenger, into the pool below.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

The Powerpuff Girls carried their injured ally to Doctor Tofu's clinic as quickly as they could without aggravating her injuries. They burst through the door, and Buttercup was first to speak. "Hey! Doc!" she shouted, "We've got an injured girl here!"

Doctor Tofu, a tall man in his early thirties, ran out into the lobby, gasping when he saw the state that Akane was in. He scooped the girl up and carried her into one of the exam rooms, laying her on a table as the other girls followed. "What happened?" he asked as he began to clean the wound on Akane's leg.

Blossom stepped forward. "There was a monster attack." She said, "She was fighting the monster when we arrived, and then we got into trouble, and she…"

Buttercup noticed her friend struggling to think of a way to describe what happened next and stepped in. "She got mad and started to glow." She said, "She focused the light into a weapon and bashed the monster with it, but then the light stopped and she passed out."

Bubbles decided she had something to contribute as well. "Her sister told us to bring her here." She said. "Can you help her?"

Tofu nodded. "It sounds like she finally learned how to tap into her ki." He said, "She over used it and exhausted her life force, and the bleeding did not help. I can stop the Bleeding, but we need to restore her energy. Can you help?"

The three girls looked at Tofu in confusion, then looked at each other and nodded. "We will help in any way we can." Blossom said, "How can we help?"

Tofu motioned for the girls to take places on either side of Akane. They did so, and the Doctor began instructing them in channeling their excess energy, directing their abundant live force to restore hers. This was made easier by the fact that much of the girls' powers involved moving their energy in a similar fashion.

After a few moments, Doctor Tofu nodded. "Thank you, Powerpuff Girls." He said, "This would have been considerably more difficult if you had not been here."

The girls smiled at the praise. "No problem, Doctor." Blossom said happily, "It is what we do."

With that, the girls departed, leaving a speculative Dr Tofu behind them.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Ukyo awoke to the sensation of being dunked in cold water. As she surfaced, she sputtered and cursed the stupid transformation that had once again ruined her day. She guessed that the blast had knocked them off the mountain, but she was not sure how she had survived the fall. She figured she would have to ask Ryoga.

Suddenly a tingly feeling went up her spine. She whirled, suddenly aware of a white-haired girl who was now drifting up in a show of white light.

"WILD BELL!"

Ukyo watched in awe as the other young woman danced through a transformation not unlike her own, though the girl's final outfit was white as snow, trimmed with black, with a white and grey top, and she had a black headband that suited the overall look, offsetting the white of her hair. In her hands, she carried a pair of folding fans.

As the change was completed Ukyo rolled from the water, clearly expecting the girl to explode with arcing black lightning, as she always did. A moment later, the girl touched down on the ground beside the pool, staring down at herself in confusion. "A-A-A skirt?" she said in horror. "Why am I wearing a skirt?"

A small man in a green uniform approached. "Ah! Young sir and miss fell in Nyaniichuan, Spring of Drowned Girl." He said. "Very tragic tale of young girl drowned in that spring two thousand year ago. Now anyone who fall in cursed to take form of girl. Older sir fall in Shonmouniichuan, Spring of Drowned Panda. It also have tragic curse. Other sir fall in spring of drowned piglet. Now is in form of small black piglet."

Ukyo gasped as she recognized Ryoga's bandana. "Ryo-chan!" she cried, running to the guide and gathering the pig in her arms.

The white-haired girl's eyes hardened. "I have been turned into a girl…" she said, softly. "If you will excuse me, I have to fillet a panda." With that, she opened her fans and charged after the fleeing panda.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

As the Powerpuffs flew back to their school, Buttercup had a thought. "Miyako…" she said, not afraid to use the other girl's civilian name while they were flying, "How did you know those girls' names?

Bubbles thought about it for a moment. "Because the eldest sister is Kasumi, one of my friends from… Before." She said with a sudden frown.

The others nodded. They all knew how their lives had been changed by receiving their powers. They had all left friends and certain aspects of their lives behind, sacrificed for the need to keep their powers a secret.

It was Blossom who made the decision. "Maybe…" she said carefully, "Maybe you should connect with her again. As Miyako, I mean. Maybe we could all stand to have more friends."

Buttercup grinned. "Yeah." She said, "Maybe you can introduce us to that sister of hers, Akane. Girl's got some moves."

Bubbles nodded slowly, and the three of them landed back on the rooftop, de-transformed and headed back to class.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Kiima swooped in low, carefully navigating the treacherous air currents over Jusenkyo. It was well known that many an experienced flyer had been cursed because of the swirling and chaotic winds that danced above the pools of sorrow, and while taking on a curse was often necessary for diplomatic and covert missions to the landings' world, she had no desire to take a dip in those cold and unforgiving waters. She was, however, on a mission. She had to find the two who had infiltrated the mountain, and learn how and why they had done so.

Kiima angled toward the home of the Guide, the Keeper of the Lore, expecting that it would be the first place her quarry would have gone. At the very least, the Guide himself could yield some information.

Below her, Kiima idly noted a panda, hurrying through the forest of Bamboo poles, carefully avoiding the pools. Expecting that her prey may have been cursed into that form, she angled toward it, swooping in low to prepare for attack.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of white and for an instant, Kiima's vision was filled with the image of a beautiful white haired girl, dressed in a white skirt with black trim and a grey top, flying over her head at astonishing speed by riding a beam of light. Kiima had never seen anything so intensely beautiful in her entire life. Then the girl was gone, chasing after the panda, leaving the Phoenix soldier in her wake.

As Kiima regained her senses, she was struck by the shockwave produced by the girl's passing. It violently stirred the air, robbing her wings of lift and sending her pitching head over heels, toward one of the pools below. She struggled hard, desperately trying to regain control, flaring her wings in a desperate attempt to right herself and avoid the water.

Mere inches off the water, Kiima managed to fill her wings with air and turn her flight path back toward the sky, but as she did, her wing touched the surface of the pool below. In that instant, she knew.

The pool was not imprinted.

The winged woman let out a terrified shriek as the original curse of Jusenkyo activated, and she was robbed of the sky she so craved, the waters hungrily dragging her into their depths. Desperately she sought to reach for anything to save her from this fate as the air was forced from her lungs by the water and her body sank into the depths below.

For the original curse of Jusenkyo is that all who touch an "uncursed" spring shall fall in and drown, and their form shall imprint on the spring and be given to all who fall in thereafter.

As Kiima's strength waned and her consciousness faded, her last thought was of the horrible white haired girl whose fault it was that she had to die here today.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

A. N. Now, originally, I was just going to use Akane as a means to pull the civilian forms of the Powerpuffs into the range of Ranma and Nabiki, however, the story took on a life of its own and laid the groundwork for Akane becoming a PPGZ member in her own right. I want my readers' opinion. Should she become one? I already have five, which is a good number, but six makes it two teams of three. In any case, as always, I love constructive criticism. Tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Ranma Puff Z

By Skye Silverwing

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Chapter 3: Old Friends Anew

Genma ran. He ran as fast as his chunky Panda legs could take him. He ran through the Valley of the cursed springs, careful not to fall in again. He ran into the undergrowth on the edge of the Valley, seeking cover. He ran through the wooded area, flitting from shadow to shadow as well as his martial arts skills, impaired as they were by his new Panda body, would allow.

He ran from a shining Demoness. A girl who had risen from the spring where his son had fallen. A girl who had flown into the air, shining with horrible power. A girl who wielded a pair of battle fans that hungered for his blood. A girl who looked at him with eyes that reflected his own death.

Certain that he must have put some distance between himself and his pursuer, Genma chanced a look back. He saw nothing but the bushes he had just barreled through and the trees he had been dodging around. Of his pursuer there was no sign.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned back to the way ahead of him, only to be met, eye-to-eye, with the white-clothed force of nature that he had been fleeing from. She looked at him with a malicious gleam in her eye.

Genma's eyes widened in terror as he screamed a Panda's scream.

The girl's face contorted in a vicious grin and she opened her fans.

Genma's world exploded in pain.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

It was several hours after the battle at the school when Akane awoke to find herself in Dr Tofu's clinic. She tried to sit up, and immediately regretted it, as a wave of exhaustion washed over her and threatened to cause her to black out once again.

Dr Tofu took note of the Girl's attempt and hurried to steady her. "Now, now, Akane," he said with a reassuring tone, "you just exhausted yourself to extreme levels a few hours ago, so it is only natural that you would not be very steady yet. Honestly, I am surprised that you are awake at all, given how depleted your life force was when the Powerpuff Girls brought you in this morning."

Akane looked at the Doctor somewhat confused. The entire morning seemed so hazy in her mind. Bits and pieces were there… Going to school that morning… Trying to make some soup in home ec… the teacher screaming that it smelled like a gas leak… Getting released from school early… going to see her sisters… and then…

Akane's eyes widened. "I… I fought a monster..." She said in an awed tone. "And met the Powerpuff Girls. They saved me."

Tofu smiled at the girl's statement. "To hear them tell it," he said, "you were the one that saved them."

Akane's eyes widened even further. "I… I used the Tendo School's Ki Weapon Technique…" she said, recalling a bit more. "It was incredible. I… I can't believe I managed it… I could never do it before…"

She attempted to get up again and faltered, prompting the Doctor to push her gently but firmly back down onto the bed. "No, Akane, you need your rest." He said. "Your sisters will be along soon, so I insist that you rest until they arrive."

Akane sighed and let herself be pushed down, thinking about the Powerpuff Girls Z as she let the fatigue overwhelm her once more.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Ukyo held the small, unconscious black piglet that had once been her directionally-challenged traveling companion in her arms and looked at the man in the green uniform. "W-where are we," she asked in a wavering voice, "and what happened to Ryo-chan?"

The Jusenkyo guide smiled reassuringly at the girl. "This Jusenkyo." He said simply, "Cursed training ground of cursed springs. Mr. Customer fall in Spring of Drowned Pig. Tragic story about Pig who drown in spring. Now all who fall in spring take form of small, black piglet. You lucky, Miss Customer. You fall in Spring of Drowned Girl, but girl already, so no change."

Ukyo blinked, her lower lip beginning to quiver. "Ryo-chan was turned into a pig?" she asked, holding the pig a little tighter. "Is it… permanent?"

The guide shook his head. "Miss Customer not worry." He said, "Victims change back with hot water, but change again with cold."

Ukyo turned on the man with a vicious glare. Setting the pig down, she advanced on the green-clothed man. "Then why haven't you gone to get some yet?" she demanded, bringing her battle spatula to bear to prove her point.

The Guide waved his hands in warding gestures and backing away from the weapon. "No need do anything rash, miss customer," he said quickly, "Please to calm down."

Ukyo fumed. "Calm down?" she demanded, "CALM DOWN? RYOGA IS A PIG! HE IS A PIG AND YOU ARE NOT-"

A sudden whine from behind her caused the angry chef to cut off, and turn to see her small black companion staring at her with tear-filled eyes. She took a step toward him, calling out to him as he turned and fled off into the undergrowth.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Ryoga awoke fitfully as he felt himself suddenly on the cold hard ground. The sensation was not unfamiliar to him, but it was far less comfortable than the soft warmth he had been feeling moments before. Lazily, he raised his head and looked for his traveling companion.

"RYOGA IS A PIG!" he heard Ukyo shout.

The words stabbed deeply into his heart. Was that truly how Ukyo felt about him? Had all the months of traveling together truly meant nothing to her? As his heart broke, he did the only thing a man could do in such a situation: he ran.

He ran into the underbrush, tears streaming from his eyes and down over his wide, flat nose.

He ran out into the scorching desert, failing to notice that he was running on four legs.

He ran along the wide frozen ridges, as his sorrow and pain began to stoke the fires of rage, long cooled by the power of love, in his heart.

He ran on a sandy beach, as the black lightning began to arc around his small black body, changing it.

He ran into the city streets, caring for nothing but his own pain, determined that it was the fault of everything that dared to get in the way of his huge charging hooves.

No longer a small black piglet, the monstrous Razorback Boar charged into the City proper, leaving ruinous destruction in its wake.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Miyako exited the store, carrying a bag containing a number of articles of clothing she had bought to give Kasumi as a gift to apologize for having gone so long without spending time with her. Momoko and Kauru walked over from the bench on which they had been waiting.

Kauru grumbled. "It took you long enough." She grated.

Miyako looked a little abashed. "Sorry, but I wanted to pick exactly the right things." She said. "Kasumi is a wonderful person and I have not been treating her well lately."

Kauru sighed. "Honestly, I just want to check on her sister." She said. "That girl had some moves. It would be horrible if she was seriously hurt because she saved us today."

All three of the girls sighed, recalling how Akane had used that strange burst of power to take out the horrible perverted samurai monster, and how she fainted afterward.

Momoko nodded, a confident smile appearing on her face. "Not to worry." She said, "That Doctor said that she would be fine after she rested. In fact, I bet she is up and on her way home right now."

Miyako nodded in agreement. "I am sure Doctor Tofu is taking good care of Akane." She said, "I am worried about my slip-up with Kasumi. We need to make sure that she doesn't know it was me."

The other girls nodded. "Well, let's go." Momoko said. "After all, we don't want to get interrupted by a-"

As if on cue, one of the buildings behind them exploded outward as a huge Boar Charged through it.

Kauru shot Momoko a glare. "I blame you for this." She said flatly.

Momoko sweat-dropped. "Hey it wasn't my fault!" she defended. "I can't control when monsters show up!"

With that, the girls headed for the nearby alley to transform, so that they could stop the beast before it could do any more damage.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

As the Guide gingerly led her back to his shack, the very disconsolate Ukyo tried to get a grasp on the situation.

Ryoga, the boy she had spent the last several months traveling the world with, the boy who, in spite of herself, she found herself becoming closer to, was gone. He had been turned into a pig and then the very qualities that had kept the pair of them lost all this time had spirited him away, and he had had nearly three hours to become so lost she might never find him again.

It wasn't fair.

A heavy thud behind them snapped Ukyo out of her funk, and she and the Guide turned to see the girl with the odd white hair hovering several feet off the ground glaring down at what appeared to be a severely beaten and broken and very unconscious panda, which she had apparently just deposited where he lay in a rather unceremonious manner.

The guide looked at the girl and the panda. "I go get hot water now." He said, fleeing quickly into the house. He had seen many customers fall in the Nyaniichuan over the years, but never one with such a strong latent reaction to it.

The girl's silver-grey eyes locked with Ukyo's tear-streaked eyes and the anger seeped from them, quickly replaced by concern and sympathy for the other girl.

She floated down until she was standing eye to eye with Ukyo. "Are… Are you alright?" she asked cautiously.

Ukyo shook her head no. "My friend… He got turned into a pig and ran off." She said. "He always had a bad sense of direction, so he is probably really lost…"

The white haired girl smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, we can find him." She said, "We just have to…huh?"

She cut off, look down at her belt which had begun to flash.

Ukyo noticed it too, and then looked at her own belt. "Oh, no!" she said, "Not now!"

Bell watched in fascination as the brunette proceeded to dance her way through a transformation into a purple outfit not unlike her own.

"ULTRA BUNNY!" she called, completing the transformation and landing on the ground, in a ready stance, her ornate battle spatula in her hand. She gritted her teeth, anticipating the pain and she was not disappointed.

Bell watched in horror as black lightning began to arc around the girl in front of her, obviously causing her immense pain.

Desperate to help, Bell called on her memories of training with the monks, opening her eyes to the energy around her. To her surprise she saw two different energies, black and white, coursing through the poor girl. The energies were equal and opposed, warring over her body driving each other back as they advanced in one area and withdrew in another, unable to gain ground, and swirling painfully through the girl's chi pathways as they built and reacted with each other.

Thinking fast, Bell noticed that the energy with her own body was the same white energy, and it too, was opposed to the black energy. Maybe she could help.

Stepping forward, she pulled out her fans and spread her energy into them. She then stepped quickly up to the other girl, wrapping her arms around her and pushing some of her own light into her.

The sudden increase in the light quickly energized the purple-skirted girl, causing the black energy to withdraw as much as it could, and then, in a flash of dark purple luminescence, the black light burst out from her and streaked out across Jusenkyo.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Akane moved with slow, deliberate steps as she followed her sisters on their way home.

Dr Tofu had been rather surprised to find that the wound on her leg had healed almost completely in the four hours after the fight, especially given the girl's chi exhaustion. She should have taken several days to heal that wound. He ultimately attributed it to the Chi provided to the girl by the Powerpuff Girls, and told her that if she noticed any other effects, to inform him immediately.

Akane had not yet fully recovered her chi, but she was feeling her energy coming back more and more. She was certain it would not be long before she was back at full strength. In fact, if the speed of her recovery was any indication, it was very likely that she would be even stronger than before.

The three Tendos were almost to the market a few blocks from their home when one of the walls in front of them exploded outward, disgorging a large, black boar.

Kasumi screamed, Nabiki grabbed her big sister's hand and pulled her back into the relative safety of a nearby alley, and Akane dropped into a combat stance, because even in her weakened state, she still had a better chance in a fight against a monster than her sisters.

The Boar charged directly at the girl, and she firmed up her stance as it bore down on her. She held out her hands to catch its huge tusks before it could Maul or trample her, and hoped she would have the strength to stop it from hurting her sisters.

"There it is! GRAVITON BLOCK!" Buttercup shouted as she dropped out of the sky and slammed her mallet into the nose of the Boar. "Akane, get your sisters out of here!"

The young Tendo did not need to be told twice as she quickly began herding her sisters into a nearby alley to escape while the Powerpuffs kept the monster busy.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Blossom appeared a moment after the Tendos' escape, supporting her teammate as they attempted to corral the huge beast. "Strawberry shoot!" She called, attempting to ensnare the huge swine's legs with her Yo-yo, but missed as the creature charged around a corner, only to appear again from the opposite direction. "Aww… How does this thing keep jumping around like that? It is like a cartoon chase scene!"

Bubbles, who had been trying to keep a birds-eye view to help determine how the monster was doing what it was doing, dropped down to rally with her teammates. "I could not keep track of it." She said. "It seemed like every time it was obscured by something, it disappeared, only to reappear someplace else."

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. "Then we have to stop it so if can't get out of our sight!" she said, charging to re-engage, and swinging her hammer. "GRAVITON DRIVE!"

A burst of force launched from the hammer and buried the boar in the side of the building next to them. As the structure collapsed, burying the beast in rubble, Buttercup realized her mistake. "Oh, no!" She cried, "It's gone again! Where is it now?"

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Akane led her sisters further along the alley as quickly as their legs would carry them. The sounds of combat behind them spurring them faster. The Alley shook as the building to their left was demolished, presumably burying that horrible beast in the rubble.

The Tendos barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief, though as a moment later, the wall ahead of them, a protective wall around the local public baths, burst outward to reveal the beast, somehow transported to there.

As the beast charged out through the wall, however, it kicked one of the pipes carrying the hot water into the baths, causing it to shatter and spray steamy water everywhere. The result was a horrific transformation. As the stunned teens looked on, the Boar transformed into a huge black-skinned Minotaur.

It stood easily ten feet tall, and its jet-black skin bulged with thick, powerful muscles. It loomed over those in the alley like a mighty shadow of death, and it reached out one huge hand and wrested a steel fencepost from the concrete sidewalk, a chunk of concrete clinging to the end of it, like a make-shift mace.

This was made all the more terrifying for the girls by the realization that the beast was, in fact, very, very naked.

Kasumi screamed and averted her eyes.

Nabiki stared in a combination of horror and intrigue.

Akane, however, clenched her fists in burning rage. "HOW DARE YOU!" she shouted, a pure white aura leaping into existence around her. "YOU PERVERTED MONSTER!"

The Powerpuffs, having heard Kasumi's scream, arrived on the scene just in time to see the youngest Tendo's Aura form around her into, surprisingly, a shifting, pulsing, multicolored version of their own costumes. Then they saw the beast, and as one, they flinched back from it, their young, innocent minds reeling from the sight.

Then Akane attacked, delivering a punishing series of attack to the beast with her chi-born mallet and her hands and feet. The hentai monster flailed uselessly at the girl with his mace as she used the combination of her own skills and the power of the white light, boosting her speed and strength, as well as allowing her to fly, to drive the creature back into the canal.

As soon as the creature hit the water, it changed once more, returning to its previous boar form. Akane, her rage spent, suddenly felt the power leave her and dropped back to the ground, breathing hard and sweating heavily. She looked up to see the boar pulling itself from the water.

The angry beast locked eyes with her, and took the first step in a charge.

"BALOON CATCHER!"

A large bubble leaped from the blue-clad Powerpuff's rod, encasing the beast and lifting it up off the ground, so that its relentless running would only result the bubble spinning in the air.

The three superheroes turned to regard Akane as she sat, breathing heavily, a thick layer of sweat coating her brow. After a few moments, the uniform that marked her has a Powerpuff girl faded back into her school uniform.

Akane looked up at the Powerpuffs plaintively. "What…" she asked, between deep, shuttering breaths, "What… is happening to me?"

The Three girls were confused themselves. It did not make sense. Blossom looked at her teammates and then nodded. "We'll have to take her to the professor." She said finally. "Maybe he can figure out how she has our powers, and what happened to them."

Kasumi stepped forward. "I think Dr. Tofu might be able to help, too." She said, and seeing the girls nod, she turned her attention to her middle sister. "Nabiki, go tell Dr. Tofu to hurry over to the Lab on the hill. I am going home to let father know what is going on, and to wait for word on what is happening."

Nabiki nodded and the two elder Tendo girls hurried off, each to their own task, while the Powerpuffs took to the sky, boar-filled bubble and the youngest Tendo in tow.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Bunny stared from the girl before her to her own purple skirt. There was no pain, no black lightning, no explosion of dark energy. For the first time since the Day of the Iceberg, she felt whole, and more, she felt great. The strength and power inherent in the white light were flowing through her body unimpeded buy whatever that dark light was.

She smiled as the Jusenkyo guide appeared, a kettle of water in hand. He looked around, confused, "Where other girl, girl who look for pig?" he asked.

Bunny looked at the Guide, confused. "I am right here." She replied.

The guide's eyes widened in confusion. "You fall in another spring?" he asked, concerned. "Is no matter, hot water change back. See?" With that, he poured the water on the badly beaten Panda. The change took but a moment. The panda changed, shifting into the form of a man. A man whose face was one that Bunny would never forget.

She glared at the man, a mask of rage forming on her face. "GENMA SAOTOME!" she yelled angrily. She started toward the unconscious man, brandishing her Spatula, when the white haired girl who had saved her stepped in her path.

Bell looked deep into the other girl's eyes with an annoyed look. "What did my Pops do this time?" she asked.

Bunny looked at the girl in confusion. "Your… Pops?" she asked, things not quite clicking in her mind yet.

Bell looked at her and sighed. "Yes, my Pops." She replied, "The man steals, cheats, lies, and in general screws with the lives of pretty much everyone he meets, so I am sure you have a good reason for wanting to beat him to a pulp, but as you can see, he is already in pretty bad shape from the beating I gave him for turning me into a girl. I want to know what he did to you before I let you go and kill him."

Suddenly, everything began to click in Bunny's mind. "Turned into a girl?" she asked, "That means you're… Ranma Saotome?"

The white haired girl nodded, and folded her arms behind her head. "The one and only." She replied with a grin.

Bell's smile faded as she realized that the other girl was now glaring at her, her knuckles whitening on the handle of her battle-spatula.

Bunny suddenly charged, lashing out with her spatula. "Ranma you Jerk!" she yelled as her weapon was deflected by Bell's Fans. "You left me behind! We were engaged, and you ruined my life!"

Bell rolled her eyes as she came out of a roll after avoiding a slash. "Engaged?" she asked, deflecting yet another strike with her fans. "I think my Pops pulled that on several individuals that I can remember, what is your name?"

Bunny dropped into ready stance once more. "I am Ukyo Kuonji!" she said, swinging her weapon once more. "You and your father stole my family Okonomiyaki cart which was to be my dowry!"

Bell blinked and caught the spatula in the side of the head, launching her backward into a nearby rock face. "Uc-chan?" Bell asked, a dumbstruck look on her face. She recalled her old friend, and her Okonomiyaki cart, but… "Uc-chan was a girl? I always just thought Uc-chan was a guy…"

Bunny's eyes widened, first with surprise, then outrage. "OF COURSE I WAS A GIRL!" she screamed, attacking with a raging flurry. "Why would your father engage us if we were both men?"

Bell was pondering it as she moved half-heartedly through dodging the attacks. "I…I don't know." She said at last, "I don't think my old man ever told me about it. Again, it is one of those things he did kind of often. I only started to realize how much of a jerk my pop was when I got hit by that white light while waiting for a friend to show up for a challenge match. He took me out of the city while I was unconscious. By the time I woke up, he had me over fifty miles out of town."

Bunny stopped and looked at her. "Wait." She said, "The day you got hit with the light was probably the same day it hit me. The person you were waiting for… Was it Ryoga Hibiki?"

Bell's eyes widened. "Black hair, bandanna, gets lost constantly?" she asked, "Yeah, it was him. How do you know him?"

Bunny sighed slightly. "We met that day, and when we realized that we were both looking for you, I lead him to the lot you were in, though it must have been a few hours after you left." She said, "I made the mistake of letting him lead me to your house, and he got us both lost. Since then we just stuck together out of need, until a few hours ago, when he got changed into a pig and ran off."

Bell goggled at that. "Your missing friend is Ryoga?" she asked, "That is not good. He can get lost in a room with one door."

Bunny nodded. "I know what you mean." She said, "I am fairly certain that he took us through Death Valley and the Amazon three times in one day. Not that I can really be sure. We were never really sure of time. Once I saw the sunrise in seven different locations in one twenty hour period, and another time we walked in the dark of night for two weeks straight. We have to find him though…"

Bell sighed. "In my experience, the best way to find Ryoga is not to look for him." She said, "Otherwise, the knowledge of where he should be interferes with finding him."

Bunny sighed and nodded and the two of them drifted back down to where the guide was waiting for them.

The Chinese man had been hoping that the two would calm back down so he could change them back to their original forms. He explained the curse, and its cure, to them once more before pouring warm water over each of their heads. Ranma shifted form, becoming his old male self again, while Ukyo was restored to her previous clothing. They both felt stronger than they had before their change.

"Is very strange." The Guide said, "I never see girl change to another girl before… I take you to Village of Amazons. Their elders may be able to tell you more."

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

A few hours after the Guide and the two newly formed Powerpuffs departed the cursed training ground, a soft purple glow began to rise out among the calm, cold springs. The dark light, expelled at last from its eternal struggle in the chef's body, drifted along in the water seeking a new vessel. It drew on the sorrow of the souls eternally trapped there, but it knew, on some level, that the sunlight would destroy it if it did not find somewhere to hide.

As it spread through the waters, it sensed something. Something familiar. It felt a soft, lingering hatred. A curse spat with a dying breath at none other than that white clothed wench that had used the cursed white light to cast the black from its last host. It approached its new shell and, if an embodiment of dark power could be seen to smile, it did so. Soon, it would have its revenge.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

AN. I figure that is a good place to stop. Next time, Tofu and Utonium work to determine the nature and limits of Akane's powers, P-Chan gets a new home, and a certain Amazon bites off more than she can chew.

I love constructive criticism.


End file.
